Unified Communications and VOIP Phone Services

Unified Communications (UC) refers to a collection of communication tools such as telephony, instant messaging, video conferencing, content sharing, and file collaboration integrated together into a single unified platform. These platforms operate over the internet and utilise Voice over IP (VOIP) to facilitate communication over the existing telephone network.

Some common examples of unified communications include Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and 3CX. Each has its own unique benefits and drawbacks. Microsoft Teams offers an all encompassing product, with certain features already available through existing Office 365 licenses. On the other hand, 3CX is well suited for complex call flows and call centre environments.

When transitioning to a unified communications system, it’s advisable to ensure that your system is entirely hosted in the cloud. Ideally, it should be kept separate from your other infrastructure. This setup provides an independent system, which is particularly crucial if telephony plays a vital role in your business operations.

When selecting a UCaaS provider, consider these main factors: Comprehensive training for you and your staff, security measures such as SSO and MFA, scalability to accommodate your business growth, and granting certain staff members privileges to make system changes, allowing for self-service capabilities.

Unified communications costs usually comprise software licensing and VOIP SIP lines. For example, your current Office 365 licence may include basic features of Microsoft Teams, but extra licences are required for Teams Calling. Additionally, you’ll need to use SIP lines from an upstream provider, which are digital VOIP phone lines.

A VOIP phone service is a digital phone line or system that uses Voice Over IP (VOIP) over the internet instead of traditional PSTN or ISDN lines that physically connect to your office building.

A VOIP phone system is usually hosted in the cloud and uses Voice Over IP (VOIP) to connect with the outside world through the internet. Each employee is assigned their own extension or direct inward dial (DID) number which can be added to a custom call flow with features like hunt groups, call queues, and departments.

Yes, VOIP calls are higher quality than traditional PSTN or ISDN lines, this is because they are digital rather than analogue and use specific codecs to improve voice quality. The use of Quality of Service (QoS) policies are used to prioritise voice calls over other network traffic, which prevents quality degradation and dropouts.

The costs of a VOIP phone service are divided into two main categories. Firstly, there are hosting or licensing fees for the phone system itself. Secondly, there are costs for the SIP lines, which can be either pay-as-you-go or fixed-fee. We generally offer a fixed-fee option with no call limits.

No, your business numbers can be transferred to your new VOIP phone system. We’ll even maintain your existing direct inward dialling (DID) mappings, so there’s no need to update any business cards or email signatures with direct lines.

Yes, all our unified communications platforms are exclusively hosted in Australia. Likewise, our VOIP carriers are also based in Australia, ensuring that your communication remains local and secure.